COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech women’s track
& field team is at the top of its game as it heads to the Ohio
Valley Conference championships this weekend in Richmond, Ky. The
meet, hosted by Eastern Kentucky University, features competition
Friday and Saturday.
The Golden Eagles have set school records in each of their last
three meets, and believe the best is yet to come.
"In track and field, the conference meet is the one that counts
the most, so the training is geared toward everybody peaking at
that meet,” head coach Tony Cox said. “That is one of
the reasons why you see many of the school records come in the
conference meet. If everything comes together like it should, then
everybody is at their best at that time."
For seniors Ashley Evans, Keri Light, and Stephanie Place, the
event is one final shot at a school or personal record. For the
underclassmen, it’s a chance to set a mark only to be broken
next year, as the team has improved each week heading into this
year’s championships.
One third of Tech’s all-time school records have come in OVC
championship meets, in addition to the three records the Golden
Eagles have set this season. Light set a school record on April 4
in the 1,500-meter run, finishing in 4:38.75 at the Austin Peay
invitational. A week later, sophomore Ashley Mayhew broke the
school hammer throw record with a distance of 139 feet 10 inches at
the Tennessee State Classic.
On April 18, Meagan Lyons, Allison Price, Emily Weinzetl and Ifey
Eguzo broke the 4x100-meter relay record, finishing in 48.90
seconds at the Murray State Invitational.
Light and Stephanie Place, who combine to own five of nine school
records in the running events, have typically dominated their
events.
Today, thanks to an effort by Cox to build a balanced team, Tech
has become a threat in other areas, as well.
“Going into this meet, I’m really excited because this
year our team has been really well- rounded,” Mayhew said.
“Stephanie and Keri are amazing, and now we have a chance to
score some points in other areas, too. It’s time for the rest
of the team to step up.”
Mayhew, who had the best hammer throw mark a season ago with a
toss of 111 feet, six inches, has already topped that mark by
nearly 20 feet this year with her 139 feet, 10 inch school record
throw. But the hammer throw isn’t her only event, as Mayhew
expects to turn some heads with her shot put performance at the OVC
championships.
Last week at Western Kentucky, Mayhew had a career-best mark of 43
feet, 3.25 inches, which is less than two inches shy of the school
record.
“I’ve set a personal record in the shot, which was the
most important thing because I really needed more distance going
into the conference meet,” Mayhew said. “I was
recruited to Tech for the shot put, so I’ll always love that,
it’s always been my main event.”
Junior Rachel Forbes, who already owns the pole vault school
record, has her eye on another event, as well, in this year’s
OVC championship. Forbes set the Tech pole vault record at the OVC
championship last year, clearing the bar at nine feet. This year
she’ll also be challenging herself in the javelin.
“I’ve been doing really well in the javelin this year,
and I’m excited to see how I’ll do at
conference,” Forbes said. “I’ve definitely gotten
progressively better for each event throughout this season,
especially in the javelin. There are still a lot of people in our
conference who are really good, but it’ll be nice to see
where I can place.”
It’s been almost a month since Keri Light has set a school
record, which is uncharacteristic for the mid-distance runner. But
the senior is aiming to go out on top at the championship meet.
“This year I started out really well, and I’ve
actually gotten a couple seconds slower, which is really
weird,” Light said. “Heading into the conference meet,
I’m hoping to get back to where I was earlier.”
Light currently owns school records in the 800- and 1,500-meter
runs, and has one last chance to improve those marks.
“I’d like to break my schools records going out in my
last meet. That would be a nice way to finish my career at
Tech,” Light said.
Fellow senior Stephanie Place, the OVC 2008 cross country Runner
of the Year, holds the Tech records in the 3,000-, 5,000- and
10,000-meter runs. Place has a history of setting records at the
OVC championships. Her record 36:29.64 in the 10,000-meter run came
in the 2007 OVC championships, and last year she ran a school
record 15:05.83 in the 5,000-meter run.
“Those two ladies, Stephanie and Keri, have been tremendous
assets for the program over the last four years,” Cox said.
“They are really hard workers, and they hold all the records
for the distance events. We couldn’t ask for anything
more.”
While Light and Place have been a staple of the team for the last
four years, two recent newcomers have also had an impact this
season. Meagan Lyons and Allison Price, seniors who spent four
years on the TTU women’s basketball team, joined the track
squad in their final season, and have enjoyed ample success.
The duo made up half of the 4x100 relay team that set a school
record two weeks ago, and Lyons also notched a first-place finish
in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time of 15.02 seconds was less than
two-tenths of a second behind Carmen Tucker’s eight-year old
school record of 14.85. Price, meanwhile, took sixth in the
400-meter dash, finishing in 1:00.56, just off the school mark of
58.91.
“It’s been really fantastic to have Meagan and Allison
join the team,” Cox said. “They came in here with a lot
of energy and a lot of talent, and they’re incredible
athletes. They come in and work hard everyday, and they fit in with
the team really well.”
Based on the performances Cox has seen from his team so far this
season, he has high expectations at the OVC event.
“I’m always excited about the conference meet,”
he said. “We’re ready to go and I just can’t wait
for it to get here.